Flexible hair piece

ABSTRACT

A wig or hairpiece combines a hair piece and a headband to provide a workout wig that is adjustable and secure. Fibers are attached to a hairpiece cap and the headband is attached around the circumference of the hairpiece cap. A cord and cord lock is inserted in a casing in the hairpiece cap to allow adjustment of the circumference of the wig. In a second aspect, a hair piece is designed to be attached to different types of head gear in a way that is comfortable, flexible and secure.

BACKGROUND

Women with hair loss who want to exercise with hair have few options: 1)wear a wig—an everyday wig, an old wig or a synthetic wig, 2) headbandwig, 3) ponytail wigs, 4) silicone wigs, or 5) vacuum wigs. None ofthese options are ideal or even very workable.

1) Wearing a wig with while exercising is hot, itchy, and most women'swigs don't fit well so they don't feel confident. They fear that theirwig is going to fly off while exercising. Realistic, comfortable wigsare very expensive ($2 k-$9 k) and because wigs are not covered byinsurance most women don't want to sweat in their nice wigs because theywant to extend of life of the wig as long as possible. Synthetic wigstend to be hotter and the fiber gets really twisted with heat andfriction. In short, a wig was not designed to be active in.

2) Headband wigs have recently become very popular. The tend to be cheapbut the cap was not designed to cup the back part of the head.Basically, the cap is the cheapest wig designs possible. Most have aVelcro® band that straps in and the users wears an exterior headband ontop. They are often painful to wear and women have a hard time gettingthem to stay on. They are not that comfortable.

3) Ponytail wigs feature a Velcro or thick band, and the users wears anexterior headband to change the look. The cap is designed in a circlewhich means that the hair always has to be up in a ponytail, top bun,etc. If you try to wear it down the hair does not hang right and looksunnatural.

4) Silicone/Gripper wigs are marketing to women with hair loss as theultimate active wig & they are extremely expensive—the issue is that asyou sweat the silicone gets wet and the wig slips. The silicone wig mustsit tight or snug to grip correctly so fit is often an issue.

5) Vacuum wigs are similar to silicone wigs. Vacuum wigs are 100%custom—a mold is taken of your head so that when you place it on yourhead it cups perfectly. It's hard to get the fit right, they are hot,and they tend to look fake in the front because there is no lace front.

Many women with hair loss wear headbands to secure a wig down that istoo big or to conceal a lace front that looks fake but this usuallydoesn't solve the various problems mentioned above.

Another problem with wigs occurs when a wig wearer chooses to wear ahat.

Women with hair loss who want to wear a hat with hair typically havethese options: 1) wear a wig with a hat 2) wear hat hair 3) hats withhair attached using velcro, 4) other connection methods like bra hooksand snaps.

Considering option 1), wearing a wig with a hat is extremely hot, bulkyand shortens the life span of the wig.

For option 2), hat hair or hat magic is basically the back half of awig. The top part is empty of hair but instead is covered with ribbonsand/or material. Most of the ribbons and the material used are itchyand/or bulky. In addition, the design of the cap often lacks theattachment mechanisms typically found in high-quality wigs resulting ina “wig” that lacks the basic function that it needs to keep it secure.Typically, the wig is worn separately from the hat however, most hats donot fit most women's heads well—they are often too big. Because the hatis not secured to the “hat hair,” the slightest bit of wind or motioncan cause the hat to fall off leaving the wearer exposed.

For option 3), Velcro is not an ideal mechanism for attachinghairpieces/extensions/halos/wigs to hats because hair, whether fake/wighair and real/bio hair is easily tangled up in the Velcro. Velcro alsotends to be very bulky, itchy and uncomfortable in various sections ofthe hat like the temples, back of the ears and the nape.

For option 4), bra hooks on the back of the wig can be problematicbecause they seldom stay hooked due to the lack of tension that isneeded to keep them tight. Snaps tend to be bulky, harder to use and notas secure.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In a first aspect, an athleisure, workout wig combines some of the bestelements of headband design and wig design to result in a workout wigthat is secure, lightweight, breathable, comfortable and realistic.

In a second aspect, a hair piece is designed to be attached to differenttypes of head gear in a way that is comfortable, flexible and secure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view of a workout wig worn by a user, in embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inside of a hairpiece cap 106 for a workoutwig, in embodiments.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are back views of the inside of the workout wig of FIG.1, in embodiments.

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of the inside of the workout wig ofFIG. 1, in embodiments.

FIG. 4B is a side perspective of the inside of the workout wig of FIG.1, in embodiments.

FIGS. 5-12 illustrate the workout wig of FIG. 1 during assembly, inembodiments.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the inside of a hairpiece for use with a hat,in embodiments.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the inside of a hairpiece for use with a hatshowing hair, in embodiments.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the inside of a hat for use with thehairpiece of FIGS. 13 and 14, in embodiments.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the inside of a hat of FIG. 15 and thehairpiece of FIGS. 13 and 14, in embodiments.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the inside of a hairpiece for use with a hat,in embodiments.

FIG. 18 is a rear view of the inside of a hairpiece for use with a hat,in embodiments.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the outside of a hairpiece for use with a hat,in embodiments.

FIG. 20 is a rear view of the hat of FIG. 15 and the hairpiece of FIGS.13 and 14, in embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, a workout wig 100 includes a headband 102 with ahair piece 104, in embodiments. The headband is approximately 5″ wide sothe wearer can change the look by folding it along it's circumference togive it smaller width or pleating across the top to create rippled look.The material used is a high-grade 4-way stretch fabric that hugs thehead but also expands when needed for flexibility of movement. The backis tapered to approximately 1½ inches so that it cups the occipital boneat the base of the skull. This is also where the stays in the back of awig typically sit. In embodiments, the unstretched circumference of theheadband is approximately 21 inches, with the ability to stretch up to25 inches. Hairpiece 104 is shown with generally straight hair however,the hair may be styled in a number of ways, including braids or a bun,for example.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inside of a hairpiece cap 106 for a workoutwig, in embodiments. Hairpiece 104 includes fibers that approximatehuman hair and are attached to hairpiece cap 106. Fibers may be madefrom hair or synthetic fiber for example and attached to the hairpiececap 106 by hand tying or a closed wefted process.

In embodiments, hairpiece cap 106 has dimensions of approximately 9×9 or10×10 inches so that it sits about 1½″ to 2″ inches back from where auser's hairline typically begins. The base is doubled lined, includingan outer layer made 108 made of swiss lace or a nylon power meshmaterial to which fibers of hairpiece 104 are tied. Outer layer 108 isnot shown in FIG. 2 as it is the reverse side of hairpiece cap 118 asdepicted.

The inner layer of hairpiece cap 106 has two parts. A first part isnon-slip material 110 is positioned across the top of a user's head. Inembodiments, anti-slip material 110 is a flower pattern lace that hasfeatures yarn that has been coating with silicone. This improves gripwithout losing breathability. Although a flower lace pattern is shown,other patterns may be used without departing from the principlesdisclosed herein.

In embodiments, a second part of hairpiece cap 106 is panel 112 thatstretches across the back and sides of a user's head. Panel 112 is madefrom a spandex mesh material that is very breathable, lightweight andcomfortable. Spandex or a similar material is used so that it can expandto fit larger heads. Hairpiece 106 is double lined with this material toprevent inversion from occurring. Inversion is when hairs come backthrough the cap and it is the main source of discomfort for wearers ofwigs. The inner layer prevents hairs from coming back through the cap toincrease the comfort of the person wearing it. Panel 112 is designedhave a shape that is generally hemispherical so that it cups the sidesof a user's head and the occipital bone.

Non-slip material 110 of cap 106 has an ⅛″ folded lace edging 120 andpanel 112 has a cap edge 116 of 0.5 cm folded stretch mesh so it's verythin. Non-slip material 110 may be attached to panel 112 with a zig-zagstitch. In embodiments, the seam between non-slip material 110 and panel112 may be covered with seam tape 118 for additional comfort.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are back views of the inside of workout wig 100, inembodiments. FIG. 4A is a front perspective view and FIG. 4B is a sideperspective of the inside of the workout wig of FIG. 1. FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4Aand 4B are best viewed together during the following discussion.

As shown, hairpiece cap 106 has been attached to headband 102. This canbe done using an overcast stitch 117 may be used to attach the base toheadband 102 prevent the material of the hairpiece 104 from raveling,although other methods could be used.

The back of the headband is gathered with a basting stitch 119 acrossthe width of headband 102 so that it is narrower than the front ofheadband 102. In embodiments, headband 102 may be gathered to a width ofapproximately 1.5 inches so that it cups the occipital bone. Thislocation is where the stays in the back of the wig typically rest.

A pull system may be used to allow users to easily adjust thecircumference of headband 102. The pull system includes a cord 120 and acord lock 122. A casing is formed around the sides of workout wig 100.Cap edge 116 may form a casing for cord 120 or a casing may be formed inheadband 102 close to where it is attached to hairpiece cap 106. Thecasing begins where non-slip material 110 and panel 112 are attached andruns along the edge of the panel 112. Cord 120 exits headband 102 whereit is secured with cord lock 122 that keeps the cord from retracting allthe way into the casing. When pulled, cord 120 tightens hairpiece cap106 against the user's head.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the loop in cord 120 may be short as it extendsfrom cord lock 122. This means that most of the length of cord 120 isinside headband 102 so that it is at its loosest configuration. Afterworkout wig 100 is placed on a user's head, cord lock 122 have beoperated so that loop 120 may be pulled out to a desired degree oftightness around the user's head as shown in FIG. 3B. As will bediscussed in more detail below, cord 120 extends through headband 102 toa position approximately above the user's ears, although any suitableposition that provides an appropriate range of sizes may be used. Inembodiments, cord lock 122 may be any device that grips cord 120 andprevents it from moving, such as a spring-loaded latch or a stopperlined with rubber or silicon.

In embodiments, panel 112 may be made from two halves 124 and 126 tofurther tailor the shape of panel 112. Halves 124 and 126 may beattached to each other using a zig-zag stitch, for example.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the workout wig of FIG. 1 during assembly, inembodiments. As shown in FIG. 5, headband 102 is made from a generallyrectangular piece of fabric 128 that is approximately 21⅜″ inches longand 8⅜ inches wide. An overcast or overlock stitch may be used alongedge 130 to prevent fabric from unraveling. Edge 130 will become theoutside edge of headband 102 that is closer to a user's face. Edge 131will be sewn to hairpiece cap 106. In embodiments, fabric 128 has athickness of approximately 0.5 cm so it's very thin. A variety of colorsand fabrics may be used to provide users with options according to theirpersonal preferences.

As shown in FIG. 6, fabric 128 is folded to bring the wrong sides offabric together along the short edge. A ⅜″ center back seam 134 is sewnusing a medium straight stitch. A gap 132 of approximately 3/16 of aninch in seam 134 is positioned at a space 136 of approximately ¾″ awayfrom overlock stitch 130 to provide an access point for cord 120. Astopping/locking stitch may be made in center back seam 134 at both endsand on either side of gap 132.

As shown in FIG. 7, a basting stitch 119 may be sewn at approximately ¼″or ⅜″ away from center back seam 134. Basting stitch 119 is pulled toreduce the width of headband 102 to approximately 1½-2″ inches,resulting in a tapered back (this allows the headband to cup and hug theoccipital bone. In embodiments, a piece of ribbon such as 1″ grosgrainmay be sewn over center back seam 134 to lock the gathered bastingstitch 119 in place.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate the workout wig of FIG. 1 during assembly, inembodiments.

FIG. 8 is a view of the inside of hairpiece cap 106 in preparation forattaching headband 102. As shown, hairpiece cap 106 is generally foldedalong a line from center front 138 to center back 140. Pins 142 may beplaced at intervals around the circumference of both hairpiece cap 106and headband 102 to assist in placement.

FIG. 9 shows headband 102 placed around the circumference of the edge ofhairpiece cap 106 with wrong sides together. Center back seam 134 isaligned with the center back of hairpiece cap 106. Using a straight or azigzag stitch the headband is sewn to hairpiece cap 106 along theinterior casing/straight stitch for cord 122 at 144 as shown in FIG. 10.This allows for the thinnest transition possible. The connection seam onmost headband wigs is ½″ or more. In embodiments, the thin transitionbetween cap 118 and headband 102 is what makes the workout wig 100 lookso realistic.

FIG. 11 shows the back of workout wig 100 where cord 120 and cord lock122 have been pulled through gap 132 in headband 102. A final step infinishing workout wig 100 is shown in FIG. 12, which includes sewing anovercast stitch just after the zig-zag stitch along the inside mesh.Starting in the back, hide split knot in between fabric and mesh. Grabtwo to three mesh holes and then go into the end headband (i.e.,overlock edge) at a 45-degree angle.

In embodiments, a user may prefer to wear a hairpiece with a hat orother headgear. Although embodiments discussed herein refer to a hat,this is for purposes of illustration only and other headgear may be usedsuch as bicycle helmets and beanies.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the inside of a hat hairpiece 150 for use witha hat. In embodiments, hair base 152 is generally arc shaped to fit theback of a user's head. One half of zipper 154 is attached to hair base152 and extends across the top of a wearer's head. Zipper pulls 156 areused to secure zipper 154 a to the other half 154 b attached to a hat,as shown in more detail in FIG. 15. Zipper 154 is a separating zipper sothat hair base 152 may be completely removed from a hat and attached toa different hat.

In embodiments, hair base 152 is made from a spandex stretchable mesh.The hair is sewn into the mesh commonly known as wefts but because themesh stretches so does the weft making it very comfortable for the user.Hair base 152 is closed meaning that hair cannot come inside the capalso making it very comfortable for the user. Stay 158 is inserted at alocation approximately corresponding to a user's temple. Another stay(not shown) may be provided near the nape of a user. The high-qualitystays located at the ear tabs and the nape sits snug against the temples& the nape preventing the hat hair from slipping backward on the user'shead.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the inside of a hairpiece 150 showing hair162. In embodiments, hair 162 is a natural or man-made fiber.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the inside of a hat 164 for use withthe hairpiece of FIGS. 13 and 14, in embodiments. FIG. 16 is aperspective view of the inside of a hat of FIG. 15 and the hairpiece ofFIGS. 13 and 14, in embodiments. Hat 164 is shown with brim 166,although any type of hat, with or without a brim, may be used. The otherhalf 152 b of zipper 154 a is attached at an angle across the inside ofhat 164. a lower edge 168 aligns with a lower edge of hair base 152. Theback of lower edge 168 may also be provided with an adjustment mechanismto adapt the circumference of hat 164 to a user's head size.

FIG. 17 is a side view and FIG. 18 is a rear view of the inside of ahairpiece for use with a hat, in embodiments. FIGS. 17 and 18 showadditional features for adapting the fit and wearability of hathairpiece 150. Adjustment mechanism 170 is an elastic band coupled witha bra hook although other types of adjustment mechanisms may be used. Asshown in FIG. 18, adjustment mechanism 170 may be provided on both sidesof hat hairpiece 150. In embodiment, polyurethane tabs 172, 174 areprovided above the ears and at the nape of the neck to allow a user towear waterproof glue or tape for additional security.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the outside of a hairpiece for use with a hat.FIG. 20 is a rear view of the hat of FIG. 15 and the hairpiece of FIGS.13 and 14, in embodiments. Hair 162 is attached to hair base 152, whichis not visible in this figure. Zipper 154 a and zipper pulls 156 areused to attach hat hairpiece 150 to a hat as shown in FIG. 20. Althoughzipper 154 a appears to be horizontal in FIG. 19, this is for purposesof illustration. Hair base 152 may have a variety of shapes as long asit generally covers the back of a user's head and falls naturally acrossa user's ear.

Changes may be made in the above methods and systems without departingfrom the scope hereof. It should thus be noted that the matter containedin the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Herein, andunless otherwise indicated: (a) the adjective “exemplary” means servingas an example, instance, or illustration, and (b) the phrase “inembodiments” is equivalent to the phrase “in certain embodiments,” anddoes not refer to all embodiments. The following claims are intended tocover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as allstatements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wig, comprising: a hairpiece cap having aperimeter; a plurality of fibers affixed to the hairpiece cap; aheadband attached to the hairpiece cap around its perimeter; and a cordheld within a casing in the hairpiece cap for adjusting the perimeter ofthe hairpiece cap.
 2. The wig of claim 1, wherein the hairpiece capfurther comprises: an outer layer made of swiss lace; and an inner layermade of a first part and a second part.
 3. The wig of claim 2, whereinthe first part further comprises a non-slip material towards a front ofthe hairpiece cap.
 4. The wig of claim 2, wherein second part furthercomprises a stretchy mesh material towards a back of the hairpiece cap.5. The wig of claim 2, wherein the casing for the cord is around theperimeter of the hairpiece cap along the second part.
 6. The wig ofclaim 1, further comprising a cord lock for maintaining a position ofthe cord.
 7. The wig of claim 1, wherein the headband further comprisesbasting stitches at the back of the workout wig for reducing the widthof the headband.
 8. A wig, comprising: a hair base having a lower edgeand an upper edge; an adjustment mechanism attached to the lower edgefor changing the length of the lower edge; a first half of a zipperattached to the upper edge; a plurality of fibers affixed to the hairbase; and a hat comprising a second half of the zipper attached to theinside of the hat; wherein the hair base is zipped to the hat forproviding a combined wig and hat.
 9. The wig of claim 8, wherein the hatcomprises a baseball cap.
 10. The wig of claim 8, wherein the hatcomprises a surf hat.
 11. The wig of claim 8, wherein the hat comprisesa bicycle helmet.
 12. The wig of claim 8, wherein the hat comprises abeanie.
 13. The wig of claim 8, wherein the zipper comprises aseparating zipper.
 14. The wig of claim 8, wherein the hair base furthercomprises polyurethane tabs above the ears and at the nape of the neckfor use with waterproof glue or tape.
 15. The wig of claim 8, whereinthe adjustment mechanism further comprises an elastic band and brahooks.